The annual report shows that cask ale’s value to the beer sector grew by 5% to £1.4bn, against a beer market decline of 2%. Last year was the first year there was no decline in cask ale volumes since 1994 — a significant out-performance of a beer market down 4.1% overall.

Westerham Brewery once again won the Supreme Champion Beer of the South East at the SIBA South East of England Beer Competition on Friday 16th July. Audit Ale, first re-brewed at Westerham three years ago after a 38 break, won Gold medal in the Strong Ales category for the third time in a row before going on to win the overall Gold medal. Audit Ale was the strongest beer brewed by the Black Eagle Brewery and is now made by Westerham Brewery to the 1938 recipe.

Top beer writers Roger Protz (editor of the Good Beer Guide), Adrian Tierney-Jones (author of the Big Book of Beer) and Pete Brown (auithor of the Cask Ale Report) have given their verdict on the National Trust Viceroy India Pale Ale produced under licence by the Westerham Brewery.

For the second year in a row the Westerham Brewery has picked up a National Trust Fine Farm Produce award for the Little Scotney Pale Ale.

Up against 117 beers at the SIBA South East Beer Competition, Audit Ale took the Gold Medal Supreme Champion, having earlier won the Strong Ales category.

Episode 8 of Oz & James’ driving adventure takes them to Westerham to meet up with Robert Wicks. For the final programme in the series, Oz Clarke and James May return to the Southeast to investigate the future of British drink. Is this where they will find the drink which speaks for modern Britain?

The Westerham Brewery has been selected as one of the finalists of the Country Living / Waitrose Made In Britain Awards 2008.

At a ceremony at Chartwell in early September, the Little Scotney Best Bitter was awarded the National Trust’s Fine Farm Produce Award. The awards are designed to recognise high environmental and animal welfare standards, high-quality production methods and great-tasting food.